Basemates
by firefly
Summary: Some strange and revealing things are learned about Hinata and Neji when the two Hyuugas get trapped in the basement together on a cold, wet, and frightening October night.
1. Sparkles

Basemates

By: firefly

Note: Back with another one! This time, I decided to write a fic starring Neji and Hinata, because Neji's a megalomaniacal jerk and Hinata has an anxiety disorder, and I thought it would be oh so fun to lock them in a basement for a night! But no romance! (waggles finger) Anyway, I don't own Naruto. Hope you enjoy! Thanx, have a nice day.

Oh, I actually have no idea whether Neji and Hinata live in the same mansion. O.o? I always kinda pictured Hinata living in the MAIN area of the house, whereas Neji and his other branch family members lived in the BRANCH areas…like, the far, _far_ west wing? I don't know if Neji's OOC, because this is how I imagine him in the situations in the fic. And I know basemates isn't a word…I just combined the word _basement_ with _roommates_. (grins sheepishly)

* * *

_Hey, man you talkin' back to me  
Take him out  
You gotta keep 'em separated  
Hey, man you disrespecting me  
Take him out  
You gotta keep 'em separated  
Hey, they don't pay no mind  
If you're under 18 you won't be doing any time  
Hey, come out and play_

**-Gotta Keep 'em Separated**

The Offspring

* * *

****

****

It was a regular, chilly October Saturday in Konoha village, and all was well within our quaint little ninja village. Naruto was out buying some fabric softener, Sakura was busy perfecting the Sasuke shrine she had created in her closet, Sasuke was flipping through a Linen 'N Things catalogue on his armchair at home, and Kakashi was out as well, purchasing toothpaste and shaving cream from the supermarket.

But wait, our story does not centre on the regular lives of the four main characters of Naruto.

No, our destination is the rather secluded and forbidding looking mansion that belonged to the Hyuuga clan.

It was a relatively normal day within the Hyuuga mansion, and it was particularly quiet since all the servants, cooks, and employees had their weekend holiday. A few random Hyuugas not worth mentioning were wandering the halls.

But among them, the two main characters of this fic were walking the long, maze-like halls to retrieve something each respective Hyuuga needed.

These two were known as Hyuuga Hinata and Hyuuga Neji.

I assume you know their story, yes? The unfairness that exists between the Main house and the Branch house?

If you paid close attention, you'd notice this unfairness simply because of the fact that I mentioned Hinata's name before Neji's.

Oh yes, the injustice of it all.

But anyway, this is where our story begins.

**Basemates**

****

Hinata had her Byakugan activated as she stepped into the hallways, making sure to look both ways as if checking for any speeding cars that might flatten her. In truth, she was doing something similar to checking for such dangers.

But she wasn't checking for cars.

She was scouting for her big bad girl-hitting cousin Neji.

Even though it was highly probable that Neji wouldn't dare show his Branch House branded tush anywhere in this part of the Mansion, Hinata couldn't help but cast paranoid looks around her as she crept down the quiet hallways.

She peered through the walls, sighing in relief when all she saw was her great-aunt shuffling towards her room.

Hinata had been busy in her room, busily crafting a super-special birthday card for her one and only Kyubi vessel, Naruto. She had used construction paper of the most beautiful orange, yellow, and red, and had spent two hours carefully gluing little dry ramen noodles to the card to spell out HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

As she looked through the card, her brow furrowed as she realized that something critical was missing.

What was the most critical ingredient in a kick-ass homemade birthday card?

Hinata had gasped in realization.

_Sparkles!_

The card would never be complete without the aid of sparkles, and she sighed with ecstasy as she pictured him opening the card, the bright vitality and beauty of the sparkles nearly blinding Naruto with their glory.

…but where could they be?

This eventually came to Hinata sneaking through her own house like a cat burglar, trying to make her way to the basement. Yes, only in the Hyuuga clan would the elders place something as innocent and childish as sparkles in the dank, dark, musty BASEMENT.

It was rather pathetic to see a girl of 12 years creeping through her house like an ostracized leper, but she had her reasons.

She shivered as she imagined running into her cousin Neji, the memory of the Chunnin exams making her stomach lurch. Truthfully…they hadn't spoken since the day he nearly killed her.

The basement of the Hyuuga mansion, unfortunately, was located a little into the Branch area of the house, since a room as insignificant and ugly as that shouldn't belong in the Main house.

This explained Hinata's fear, as she rounded the corner and peeked into the hallway that separated the Main house from the Branch house.

_I can do this!_ Hinata thought in determination, swallowing hard as she walked towards the hallway. _For the love of N…Na…Naruto!_

Just as she was about to cross into forbidden territory, the sudden sound of footsteps made her freeze on the spot. Using Byakugan, she looked up and nearly puked at the sight that was approaching.

_NEJI…carrying laundry._

HOLY CRAP.

Making a strangled sort of sound in her throat, Hinata turned and bolted through the nearest door, closing the door behind her. She ran into a wall from her momentum, falling on her behind as a bunch of coats and jackets buried her.

Who cared? Better sitting in a closet than making eye contact with her spiteful cousin.

Neji was carrying his dirty laundry to…the laundry room, when he heard a thumping noise ahead. He paused as he reached the hallway that separated the Main house from the Branch, and his gaze drifted to the closet there.

Too distracted by the need to glare and stick his tongue out at the Main house hall, he forgot to investigate the thump he heard and continued on his way.

Meanwhile, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Neji leave the hall through the closet door, and she waited a few minutes before daring to open the door. She stumbled out, tripping over a bulky coat before she continued on her journey.

She held her breath as she crossed the boundary, eyes widening at her boldness.

But she wasn't too surprised with herself. For the love of Naruto…she'd do anything!

Except talk to him, of course.

Hinata now stood before the basement door, eyebrows rising in surprise when she saw the state of the door. It might as well have been a door to a bank vault. After all, this was where the ENTIRE family's most important scrolls and stuff were housed.

And as it was too troublesome for the Main house to protect the scrolls, the task was assigned to the Branch house.

And unfortunately for the flustered Hinata…she was completely ignorant of the fact that not only did it contain the sacred scrolls…

It contained the laundry room as well.

She pulled the door open by its big metal handle, blinking to see that it was slightly ajar. But she was too pumped with adrenaline to care about this suspicious little oddity. She was so close…she would have her sparkles, damn it!

Hinata slipped through the door, grateful for the dim, bare bulb that swung from the ceiling. Otherwise, she would have fallen headfirst off the stairs that led directly from the door to the basement.

She didn't notice the big vault like door close shut behind her as she descended the stairs, the sound of her wildly beating heart blocking out the sound of the lock gears turning in the door.

A musty sort of smell made her wrinkle her nose, and the faint sound of dripping water could be heard within.

Hinata was shivering, in spite of herself. She had always hated the basement…the fear rising from a death that had occurred down there before she was born.

Damn it, she was a ninja! She didn't need to be afraid!

But then again…ninjutsu didn't work on ghosts…

There was a sudden bang, and Hinata froze on the last step as she raised her eyes to the sight in front of her.

She mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds, blood draining from her face as she saw the most frightening thing she had ever seen in her 12 years on earth.

Neji was closing the lid on the laundry machine, grabbing an empty basket as he turned. Hinata's heart nearly stopped when she saw him, and she was unable to speak as he picked up the basket and turned around.

Neji turned around and froze, so suddenly that it looked like he had suffered an epileptic seizure.

Hinata stood at the foot of the stairs, one hand hanging limply by her side as the other clutched at the railing, her pearl-white eyes as wide as his. They stared at each other; Hinata's face a mask of terror whereas Neji wore a look of blank shock.

Neji's grip tightened on the basket, and he finally spoke, narrowing his eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

Hinata continued to mouth wordlessly for a few seconds, trying not to sway as the urge to faint tickled her incessantly. She made a few incomprehensible sounds as Neji glared at her, then choked out a word.

"S-Sp…Sparkles…"

Neji continued to stare at her, scrutinizing her with those freaky Hyuuga eyes as she cowered under his gaze. One look at her with his Byakugan told him she wasn't lying, and that her current state of mind resembled that of a person about to be gored by a bull.

Hinata withered under his intense stare, and quietly slipped off the last stair, stumbling quickly to the other end of the rather large basement. Hinata occupied herself with looking through a couple of cupboards as she prayed for Neji to leave.

She nearly sighed in relief when he just cast her one more narrow-eyed stare before he proceeded to leave. Hinata let out a whoosh of breath she had been holding as she heard his footsteps ascend the stairs, and she continued her quest for the sparkles.

A small smile worked its way to her face as she imagined what her card would look like after it was finished. The thought of seeing Naruto's happy expression sent shivers down her spine.

She was interrupted from her fantasies by the sudden and numbing feeling of killer intent within the room, and she felt her blood run cold when she heard the sound of footsteps coming DOWN the stairs.

A cold wave of dread engulfed her body as she slowly turned, eyes widening as she saw who the steps belonged to.

Neji came into view, clutching his laundry basket and looking _extremely_ peeved. Hinata started to mouth wordlessly again as he slowly walked towards her, a dangerous glower on his face.

"N…Ne…Neji!" Hinata squeaked as he stopped in front of her, dropping his basket to the ground.

"Were you aware…" he began slowly, his voice dangerously calm. "…that I left the door open before I came down here?"

Hinata's eyes widened as she remembered seeing the vault like door standing slightly ajar, and she choked out her answer.

"Y-Yes…"

If Neji's glare could be any more potent, she was sure his eyes would have bored two smoking holes in her head.

"Were you aware…" he said, again in that forced calm. "…that the door has an automatic lock system in it?"

"N-No…"

A vein twitched violently in his temple.

"And are you aware…" he said between clenched teeth. "…that there is no one in this part of the mansion, who could possibly unlock the door from outside?"

"I…I…" Hinata gasped as he loomed before her, his calm exterior splintering by the impending fury that he unleashed on her.

"_Hinata_!" He yelled furiously. "Because of your foolishness, we're stuck down here!"

The Hyuuga heir paled, every ounce of colour draining out of her face. She clutched at the wall for support, Neji's murderous stare making her knees buckle beneath her.

"W-What…?" she whimpered.

"We're. Stuck. Down. Here." Neji said between clenched teeth, hair practically standing on end from the sudden tension in the room.

Hinata just stared at him, her lower lip trembling fearfully until he turned away from her and strode back towards the stairs. Hinata blinked, hesitating at first before she timidly followed him.

When she looked up the stairs, she saw Neji standing before the large, vault like door, knocking furiously on its metal exterior. This incessant knocking continued for a few more minutes, and Hinata wisely kept quiet, not wanting to piss her cousin off anymore than she already had.

"OI!" Neji suddenly shouted, kicking at the door. "SOMEBODY OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"

His knuckles stung slightly, and he cursed in exasperation when no one came to answer his call. The closest Hyuuga to the basement was Hinata and Neji's great-aunt, but as fate would have it, she was as deaf as an old goat.

No way would Neji waste his hours sitting helplessly in a stupid basement with his weak cousin. He'd show the door! Yeah, the door wouldn't stand a chance against his mad Hyuuga skills.

Hinata watched in shock as Neji's fists started to glow blue from chakra concentration there, and she let out a yelp when Neji started to pummel the door with flying fists.

Neji's furious screams reverberated loudly within the basement, but none of the sound got past the metal door. It didn't even shudder under the punches, the reinforced metal only denting slightly from Neji's chakra fused blows.

Refusing to give up, Neji grabbed onto the railing and started kicking at the door, yelling and hollering obscenities the whole while. If Hinata hadn't known better…she could have sworn that Neji's furious screams sounded slightly hysterical.

In fact…Neji sounded _scared_.

Beads of sweat dripped over his brow as he paused his assault, breathing heavily and glaring.

Hinata wouldn't understand…he HAD to get out. As in NOW. Like, IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise…

Neji started to sweat profusely, and he turned away from the door gasping as he staggered back down the stairs.

Hinata stared with wide, frightened eyes as Neji stood there a few feet in front of her, slightly hunched and breathing hard, as if he had run a marathon. His eyes were wide, veiny from Byakugan and emanating panic.

_Oh God…_he thought wildly. _I need …I need a…_

Hinata gasped when he ran at the cupboards, throwing them open in a frenzy as he started to toss things out behind him.

"N-Neji!" Hinata cried, taking a few tentative steps towards him. "Are…are you all right?"

He ignored her, continuously throwing things from cupboards as he searched desperately for whatever it was he needed. Hinata took a step back when he made a strangled sound of joy and relief in his throat, reaching forward to pull something from the cupboard.

Hinata stared, dumbfounded as he pulled out a package of brown paper bags. And with a speed that rivaled Rock Lee, he tore the bags out from the plastic.

Hinata didn't know what to expect…but it definitely wasn't _this…_

Neji put the opening of the bag against his mouth, and began to hyperventilate.

He breathed deep, shuddering breaths, eyes wide and slightly unfocused as re-used air was exhaled and inhaled at an alarmingly fast rate. He fell to his knees as his breathing finally slowed, and Hinata stood there, too bewildered to do anything.

Slowly, Neji's hunched shoulders relaxed, and he withdrew the bag from his red face. He stared at the floor for a few seconds, seemingly in shock.

Then he suddenly remembered…Hinata was still there.

He slowly stood, raising his eyes to hers as they both stared at each other.

Hinata wore a look of confusion and fear, and Neji wore a look of shock and humiliation. Hinata was the first to speak.

"N-Neji…" she said in a tone of timid wonderment. "Y-You're…claustrophobic?"

She couldn't even blink when he suddenly appeared in front of her, hand darting out to slap against her mouth. Hinata let out a fearful whimper against his palm as Neji gave her the most horrifying glare she had ever seen.

It was so horrifying that it could have been stamped with the words: "**Gaara Approved Glare**."

"Don't…" he said, hoarsely. "Don't you ever…say _anything_…about this…to _anyone_!"

Hinata nodded frantically, eyes wide as he gave her another glare before stepping back from her again. He still looked afraid, but seemed to have overcome his crippling panic attack.

Up until now, the idea of being stuck in the basement with her crazy, girl-hitting cousin hadn't sunk in, but as Hinata glanced towards the vault-like door up the stairs, her stomach lurched. She slowly backed away from Neji as he started to pace.

He was still nervous. It was quite obvious from the twitch of his eye and his uncurling and curling fingers.

"There's got to be a way out of here…" he muttered to himself, glancing around the basement for windows.

"Um…" Hinata began timidly, flinching when he turned to look at her. "N-No…there isn't."

Neji seemed to pale slightly at this news, and despite Hinata's fear of her cousin, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him as a forlorn and hopeless look overtook his features.

Silently, he dragged his feet toward the other end of the basement, lowering himself to the cold, hard ground.

They sat in silence for an unbearable ten minutes, and Hinata couldn't help but shiver from the cold chill that seemed to linger within the basement. She kept her gaze on the floor, but used her Byakugan to look at Neji.

His arms were crossed over his chest, and he kept his gaze on the ground as well, eyes closed tightly.

"What are you staring at, Hinata?" he suddenly questioned, and she blushed in embarrassment, deactivating her Byakugan.

"S-Sorry, she said quietly.

Her momentary observation of him let her see the goose bumps that decorated his arms, and she wondered faintly if they from the cold, or from his phobia.

Unable to stand the silence any more and feeling more than curious, Hinata finally spoke up.

"Neji?"

"…what?"

"C-Can I ask you something?"

Neji didn't reply, but raised his gaze to her, narrowing his eyes again. She immediately knew he knew what she wanted to ask, so she bowed her head in apology.

"S-Sorry…I was just wondering,-"

"It's your father's fault."

Hinata looked up at his abrupt statement, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"M-My father?"

Neji stared at her, and for a moment Hinata thought that he wasn't going to tell her. But he took a deep breath, fingers intertwined tightly as he spoke.

"I was three…" he began, slowly. "I was playing a game with cousin Ebizo…Hide and Seek..."

Hinata couldn't help but smile inwardly, the idea of NEJI playing Hide and Seek too ludicrous and cute to illicit anything else.

"I decided to hide in a closet…our fathers were in the next room…"

Hinata's smile faded slightly.

_Neji talking about both their fathers at once could never be a good thing…_

Neji was trembling slightly now, though Hinata was sitting too far away to notice.

"They were bored; apparently…I could hear what they were saying. _Your_ father had the idea of watching a movie to pass the time…he put in a video, and they started watching it," Neji paused, a bead of sweat dripping down his neck.

"Cousin Ebizo was taking too long, so I decided to come out. But the door was stuck…yet that didn't frighten me. I called for someone, but no one came…I was in there for an hour…and that's when it happened…"

Hinata leaned forward slightly, eyes wide. "W-What happened?"

"That movie they were watching…they put the volume up high…I could hear everything, since the TV was directly opposite the wall I was sitting against. They…they were watching…"

Neji swallowed hard.

"W-What? Neji?" Hinata asked apprehensively, looking slightly concerned as Neji shivered.

He raised his eyes to hers, and spoke in a hollow voice.

"They were watching _The Exorcist_."

Hinata gasped.

"I heard everything," he whispered, shivering as he brought his knees up in front of him, wrapping his arms around them. "It was as if those horrible inhuman noises were being screamed right in my ears…I was in there for two hours before cousin Ebizo found me…"

Hinata just stared at him, too shocked and pitying to say anything. She was twelve and she was STILL too scared to watch that movie…but Neji had endured it when he was only THREE, by himself, in a dark closet…

On high volume!

"I…I had no idea…" Hinata said softly.

Neji said nothing, and Hinata felt a little bad for bringing up such a sensitive subject. Most of us wouldn't have given two craps about Neji if he had attempted to kill _us_ two months ago, but Hinata was a very empathetic and forgiving girl.

"I'm…I'm scared too," Hinata admitted softly, lowering her eyes. "Ever since our grandfather died down here…I don't like to come down here either."

"Why?" Neji questioned, a hint of familiar scorn in his voice. "He's _dead_. What's there to be frightened of?"

Hinata just shrugged weakly in response, and they both fell silent.

They both looked up when the dim lights flickered momentarily, and Hinata could practically hear Neji's heartbeat double halfway across the room.

He was more frightened than he was letting on.

They flickered again, and despite Neji's recollections of tips from his Self-Help books, panic swept him and he leapt to his feet, pacing rapidly as he counted under his breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

"Neji, it's okay…calm down…" Hinata said, getting to her feet as her cousin started to emit small, terrified whining sounds as the lights flickered.

Hinata quickly strode towards the many cupboards against the walls, and she quickly extracted another paper bag. Walking hesitantly up to her pacing cousin, Hinata timidly offered him the paper bag.

Neji stopped and faced her, taking the bag from her hands and shoving the opening against his mouth again.

A cold draft swept through the cracks in the wall, and Hinata and Neji stared, wide-eyed, as the bulbs that hung from the ceiling started to sway seemingly on their own accord.

Hinata dug her nails into her palm, backing up against the wall and next to her hyperventilating cousin.

"I think you made grandfather mad…" Hinata squeaked to Neji.

Neji seemed to have gotten a hold of himself and gave her a look of utter disbelief. "Hinata…you're really childish. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Five seconds after he said this, the draft subsided and the lights stopped flickering, much to their relief.

Hinata suddenly felt extremely awkward, as she realized that she and Neji were talking again, after he had nearly annihilated her at the Chunnin exam. But talking about Neji's phobia and her dead grandfather weren't the conversations she was hoping for.

Shivering again at the chill within the room, Hinata walked towards some boxes and browsed through them.

She found some old, moth-eaten blankets and comforters, and pulled them out in a flurry of old mothballs and dust. Coughing, Hinata yanked them free from the tangle of sheets and offered two of them to Neji.

He took them begrudgingly, trying not to think too much about how Hinata had given him the better two out the four.

She took her own blankets, giving him an uncertain glance before she moved back to the other end of the room. She coughed into her palm, trying to avoid her cousin's stare. The feeling of blood against her fingers made her grimace, but she ignored it.

Neji, despite being the cold, girl-hitting bastard that he was, couldn't help but acknowledge that nearly non-existent twinge of guilt in his heart, as he spotted a drop of Hinata's blood on the ground.

_It's not really ALL my fault…_he thought with a grimace as he sat back down with his blankets. _If she'd given up, then I wouldn't have beaten her so badly…_

Hinata drew the blankets around herself, rubbing the goose bumps on her arms. The temperature seemed to have dropped by ten degrees in less than ten minutes, and the extremely awkward silence was not making her anymore comfortable.

A crack in the wall above her head let another draft of cold air seep through, and Hinata stiffened when she felt the cold gust blow some strands of hair into her face. The house groaned and creaked, and her eyes widened when she felt a prickly sensation on the side of her face.

Her body went numb when she turned, expecting to see a spider. But there was nothing…just the shadows playing on her face.

Hinata gulped, breaking out in a cold sweat. She looked towards Neji, who had his head bowed towards the ground and was tapping his foot impatiently.

Her lips parted, and it took a few seconds for her to muster the courage to request permission for what she wanted to do.

"N-Neji brother…" she said shakily, voice weak with fear. "C-Can I s-sit with you…?"

Neji raised his head, looking at her with surprise and suspicion. He narrowed his eyes at first, but relented when he saw how terrified she was. There was no point in having a hysterical Hinata on his hands, so why not?

Hinata smiled slightly in gratitude as he nodded, once, and she shakily got to her feet, dragging the blankets behind her like a cape as she crossed the basement. The lights flickered again, and she quickly made it to the other side, sitting a few feet away from her cousin.

"Thank you," she said softly, feeling relieved by his presence.

"Hn."

Hinata raised her eyes again when the lights flickered, and she jumped when the sound of thunder suddenly boomed above the house. Soon enough, a few drops of rain water started leaking through the cracks in the ceiling, and fell with a steady drip in front of Neji's feet.

Growling in annoyance, he pushed an empty bucket in front of it, imagining how it would probably be impossible for his family to hear him scream and holler now.

A particularly loud crash of thunder made them both jump, though Neji was quick to recover and glare at the ceiling and curse fate.

Hinata shivered in fear at the sound of thunder, and Neji couldn't help but give her a scornful glare.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he said contemptuously. "It's just a storm."

"It's not the storm I'm afraid of…" Hinata whispered, burying herself up to her nose in blankets.

Neji snorted, leaning back against the wall. _There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of…just as long as the lights didn't go out…_

Unfortunately for Neji, fate is a fickle thing, and it was quick to be a kick in the ass when thunder boomed again, and the lights flickered wildly.

Both Hyuugas raised their eyes to the flickering light, and Neji felt the world fall away beneath him when the bulbs all gave out at once, plunging them into absolute darkness.

Absolute darkness…like the darkness of _that_ closet ten years ago…

Hinata blinked rapidly, trying to let her eyes adjust to the darkness, when she suddenly heard the telltale sounds of an oncoming panic attack from Neji. He was gasping for air, emitting those small, terrified whining sounds as cold drafts of air washed over them.

Hinata was scared, but no where near as scared as her poor, petrified cousin.

He pushed himself against the wall, his wide, white eyes darting around him as his heart thudded deafeningly within his ears. His knuckles were turning white from gripping the blanket so tightly, and he was barely aware of Hinata's voice telling him to calm down.

"Neji, relax. The lights will come back on!" Hinata said anxiously as she heard her cousin gulp.

He wouldn't listen…he was back in the closet again, listening to those horrible, frightening sounds from that cursed movie. A crack on the wall behind his head delivered the finishing move.

Wind creaked through the crack, directly next to Neji's head, emitting a dry, whispery groan nearly identical to Linda Blair's demonic growls into his ears.

He blanched.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Hinata suddenly found that she couldn't breathe, and she looked down in shock to see Neji latched onto her, squeezing the life out of her with his grip. She could have sworn she heard her ribs crack when Neji tightened his arms around her, burying his face into the bundle of blankets as he let out a dry sob.

"_Hinata!_" He wailed. "_Save me!_"

.

.

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Note: Poor Neji! Will Hinata survive Neji's death grip long enough to help him? Only the next chapter will tell! So please leave me nice, detailed review. Meaning…tell me what part you liked best? That sort of thing? (hugs readers) I'll love you if you do!

Anyway, click that little button down there! Thanx, have a nice day!


	2. Spiced Peaches

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Basemates Ch.2

By: firefly

Note: Oh man, I'm so sorry the 2nd chappy took so long! Writer's block is a BITCH! Anyway, I'm so glad you people are enjoying this! Yes, I made Neji irresistibly huggable in this fic! (Huggles Neji) Who knew he could be this cute, ne? Oh, and I said it before and I'll say it again. Romance is a no-no. It's simply not worth my life to sift through a whole bunch of flames for some good reviews. And it's not really what I'm aiming for, hence the category being humor alone. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the ending, and as always, have a nice day!

* * *

_When you're on a holiday  
You can't find the words to say  
All the things that come to you  
And I wanna feel it too…  
  
On an island in the sun…  
We'll be playing and having fun  
And it makes me feel so fine  
I can't control my brain  
  
When you're on a golden sea  
You don't need no memory  
Just a place to call your own  
As we drift into the zone…  
  
We'll run away together  
We'll spend some time forever  
We'll never feel bad anymore…_

- Island in the Sun

**- Weezer**

* * *

**Basemates**

Hinata was vaguely aware that the lights had gone out in the basement, all her fear of the pitch black darkness disappearing…but only because she was too preoccupied with trying to get Neji to loosen his suffocating hold on her.****

****

The need to breathe was pretty much overshadowing her fear at this point.

"Ne…ji!" She gasped, attempting to pry his arms off her. "C-Can't…breathe!"

"Save me, Hinata!" He wailed again, shaking his head back in forth as he burrowed his face deeper into the blankets. "I don't want to die!"

"Re…lax!" She choked out, attempting futilely to twist out of his death grip. "And let…me…go!"

This apparently wasn't the right thing to say, as Neji was suddenly struck with the thought of being abandoned alone in the darkness. He raised his head from the blanket, and was suddenly afflicted with the strongest case of _Sudden-Urge-To-Show-Unlikely-Behaviour Syndrome _in Konoha's history.

His pearl-white eyes watered with held-in tears, lower lip trembling as he looked up at Hinata, even though he couldn't see her.

"Don't leave me alone…" he whimpered, his voice so soft and pathetic that Hinata momentarily stopped struggling to look down in shock. There was an awkward moment of silence, which was broken when thunder boomed again and Neji resumed his death grip, upgrading it to **Version: Lung/Implosion.exe.**

Now desperate, Hinata found herself resorting to her last option. And no, it wasn't knocking Neji out with the broken iron next to her.

Shifting, Hinata moved her hands so they settled against Neji's sides, her fingers poised and ready.

Holding her breath, Hinata unleashed her own jutsu.

Tickle no Jutsu!

Neji let out a shrill scream when Hinata's fingertips suddenly started tickling at his ribs, inducing a gut reaction that made him release his hold on her and burst into hysterical screaming and sob-like laughter.

"No! No! _Stop_!" Neji screamed, as if he were being tortured brutally. "I c-can't – ha ha – Stop it! Ha ha ha! No! Ha ha, no more! P-Please! Ha ha ha! _NOO_!"

Besides Hinata's desperation for him to let go, which he had, she suddenly had a sadistic urge to make her cousin suffer. Neji fell on his back, Hinata smirking in morbid satisfaction as she continued to tickle him as he thrashed around on the floor.

_This is payback for making me hack up blood for so many month_s Hinata thought inwardly, as Neji batted at her hands like a baby, laughing and sobbing at the same time.

And as I said before, fate is a fickle thing, and it was quick to be another kick in the ass when there was a loud hum and a pop, and the lights flickered back on.

Hinata seemed to sway the vengeful demon who had taken hold, and she pulled back with a gasp, realizing what she had done.

Neji was lying flat on his back, arms spread out at his sides as he gasped for breath, his wide stunned eyes focused on the ceiling. There was a moment of silence in which Hinata counted the last seconds of her life, and Neji gathered his bearings, sitting up.

His face was beet red, and he stared at her in absolute shock.

"What…" he started, his voice unusually high. "…the _hell_ was that for?"

Hinata looked absolutely horrified with herself. "S-Sorry, I don't know what came over me…b-but, I couldn't breathe, I had to!"

"Couldn't breathe?" Neji echoed faintly, suddenly remembering what had happened during his blind panic attack. Blood rushed to his cheeks when he recalled his actions, and he found himself unable to look at her.

"Oh, my God," he said faintly to himself, drowning in hot shame as he realized his actions. He was clinging to her like a baby, wailing and crying like a pathetic idiot. He'd never live this down…EVER.

"It's okay, Neji," Hinata said hastily, seeing various emotions flicker over his visage, his constantly twitching eye alarming her. "I…" she stopped, her voice dying in her throat as Neji slowly got to his feet, turning to face her.

"I didn't…did I?" he practically whimpered, drowning in denial. "I didn't…_hug_ you, _did I_?"

"Um…uh," Hinata stammered, at a loss for words.

"I…Neji, the true genius of the Hyuuga clan…I didn't, I couldn't have…I must have imagined the whole thing," he whispered, mostly to himself. "No way that Neji Hyuuga would act so pathetic…right?"

He stared at her, sounding a hair away from hysteria.

"Right!?"

"Neji," Hinata squeaked fearfully. "You're starting to scare me…"

Neji gaped at her for a few seconds, seemingly in shock, until he finally managed to find his voice and choked out his response.

"What happened here…" he said, hoarsely. "Never, ever…leaves this room, do you understand? We never speak of it again. In fact, it never happened, all right?"

Hinata nodded, her eyes wide as he gathered his bearings and emphasized his meaning by aiming another patented **Gaara Approved Glare **in her direction. There was another awkward moment of silence, in which Hinata avoided Neji's eyes as he picked up the broken shards of his dignity.

She distracted herself with the thought of Naruto replacing Neji in the basement, and she blushed when she pictured Naruto latched onto her like that. If only…

"Hinata…"

Blinking, she looked up, startled from her dreamy stupor. Neji had settled himself back on the ground next to her, narrowed eyes focused determinedly on his feet.

"Yes?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm…sorry," he mumbled, unable to prevent the redness that spread over the bridge of his nose. "…if I made you uncomfortable in anyway."

Hinata stared in surprise, before she gave him a shy, comforting smile. "It's okay, Neji brother…it was nothing."

He nodded without looking at her, still too embarrassed to look her in the face. Glad that they had settled their differences without injury or death involved, Hinata found her gaze roaming the large basement for something to occupy herself with.

Deciding that she'd busy herself by browsing through the cupboards, she got to her feet and wandered over to the ones situated to the right of the room. Neji watched her look through the cupboards, his jaw working furiously as he waged a war within himself.

This was Hinata, his cousin.

He had attempted to kill her two months ago.

Then her father cleared up the misunderstandings.

Then Neji spent a few days feeling EXTREMELY silly.

Then he took to avoiding Hinata within the house.

And now he was with her, in the basement.

He had…(grimace)…hugged her.

Then he apologized.

Now what was he supposed to say?

_I hate awkward situations like these_…Neji thought to himself, brow furrowing as he looked down at the blankets in his lap. With a sigh, he made up his mind and raised his head, his tone indifferent.

"What are you looking for, Hinata?"

"Oh," Hinata bowed her head, a blush spreading over her face. "Um, sparkles…f-for a card I'm making, for…someone…"

Neji stared at her.

"For Naruto."

Hinata's eyes widened, but she kept her gaze on the floor, her voice painfully weak as she spoke.

"You knew?"

"Everyone but the retard himself knows."

"Oh…"

Silence…painful, _awkward_ silence.

Neji gave a long, suffering sigh again, wishing he still had a reason to detest the main house.

"Want me to help look?"

Hinata gave him a surprised look, then let a small appreciative smile grace her face. She gave a shy nod, and returned to her browsing as Neji got to his feet and wandered over to her side. Reaching forward, he pulled open the cracked, wooden door and peered inside.

A centipede fell out of the cupboard and onto his foot.

It was all he could do to keep from letting out a shriek as he felt it crawl rapidly up his bare shin. Hinata didn't notice as he shook his leg back and forth, too immersed within her search. Stepping back, Neji did some demented form of the hokey pokey until the hideous thing fell of his leg and went _crunch_ under his heel.

Growling inwardly in annoyance, he went back to the cupboard and started looking through it.

There were only a few old scrolls and unopened packets of incense, so he moved on to the next one. They searched in silence, sifting through the dust-caked clutter. Hinata pulled out a thick book, blowing the dust off the cover.

Her eyes widened when she saw that it wasn't a book, but a photo album. Neji looked up when he heard her gasp, and saw that she was gawking at some page in a book she was holding.

Her lower lip trembled, and Neji blinked when she let out giggle.

Curious, he walked towards her and peered over her shoulder.

His eyes nearly rolled out of his head.

"-the hell?!"

Hinata looked at him, smiling. "I've never seen these baby pictures of you before."

There were pictures of 1-2 year old Neji in the album, and Hinata couldn't resist the natural girlish urge to giggle at each one.

There was one of him on a swing in a park, one of him in a high chair with baby food smeared all over his face, one of him sleeping on the sofa, and one…

Hinata burst into a fit of hysterical giggles.

There was one of him sitting in a slightly foamy bathtub with a rubber ducky, stark naked.

"!!!" Neji blanched as his eyes fell upon the embarrassing picture. "Hinata, give me that!"

He yanked the album from her hands as Hinata vainly attempted to muffle her giggles with her palm. Horribly embarrassed, Neji turned a few shades of red as he looked at the album, wincing at the bathtub picture.

Who in their right mind would take a picture of someone taking a bath!?

He turned the page, eyes roaming the other pictures there. He stopped, gaping at the photograph that stood out among the rest. Hinata saw his shocked expression and craned her neck to look at it.

They both stared in silence, feeling another wave of awkwardness settling upon them.

It was a picture of four-year-old Neji and three-year-old Hinata, sitting in a small red wagon and eating ice cream. Neji was attempting to take a bite out of her chocolate fudgesicle, holding his own high above his head.

They were both laughing.

Neji closed the album with a snap, startling her. Hinata stole a quick glance at his face and winced when she saw various degrees of agony clouding his features. Silently, Hinata took the album from his hands and placed it back in the cupboard, closing the door for his comfort.

Feeling extremely agitated, Neji silently went to the other side of the room, not wanting to face his cousin.

_Why…_he thought bitterly. _Why ME?_

_Does fate have any more awkwardness planned in my future? Any other ways to humiliate me in front of my cousin? God, could this day get any worse…?_

Ha ha, let's just say…Fate is one stone-cold bitch.

Neji opened the cupboard door and reached inside; letting out a yelp when something snapped shut on his fingers. Swearing in pain, he yanked his hand out and gawked at the mousetrap that had clamped over his fingers.

The real pain came a fraction of a second later, and he stumbled back, arms flailing and knocking things off the top of the cupboard.

Seeing the obvious distress her cousin was in, Hinata didn't know whether to try to help him and risk getting knocked unconscious, or watch in dismay.

She chose the first option, rushing forward to grab a hold of his wrist. She took a hold of the evil contraption and yanked it off in one quick pull, as Neji pulled in the opposite direction.

"Oof!" Hinata went flying into a pile of boxes with the mousetrap in hand, and Neji slammed back into a cabinet, the momentum of the impact making the door fly open.

Cursing, Neji stumbled away from it, his hand and back throbbing with pain. Hinata slowly lifted herself off her bruised bottom, and she turned her head at the sound of a crash. Some dishes had fallen out of the cabinet, and a black vase was wobbling dangerously.

Hinata and Neji stared at it in dumb silence for a few seconds, the numbing realization coming a little too late.

Neji rushed forward, only to skid to a stop when the black vase fell and shattered against the ground. There was a moment of deafening silence, then…

"Neji…" Hinata whispered in mortification. "That was…"

"I know," he said hoarsely.

"Oh dear…" Hinata whimpered.

"Oh crap," Neji said in a flat voice.

Slowly, the two walked up to the fallen piece of pottery and stared in dismay at its contents spread all over the floor.

Hinata let out a small sob.

"Neji…you _broke grandpa!_"

The vase, apparently, wasn't a vase at all.

The urn that contained their dead grandpa's ashes lay smashed on the ground, the ashes scattered in heaps among the broken shards.

Neji's tongue felt like a lead weight in his mouth. "It…was an accident. I didn't mean to…"

"Oh Neji," Hinata sobbed. "You killed grandpa…what do we do?"

Neji looked at her indignantly, spluttering. "He's already dead! Those are just…" he swallowed hard. "Those are just his…remains."

"Poor grandpa," Hinata whimpered, staring at the ashes with tear-filled eyes. "We have to do something..."

Neji backed away from the broken urn, activating his Byakugan as he scoured the basement. He found what he was looking for propped up next to the laundry machine. Hinata looked up when she saw Neji approach with a dustpan held solemnly in his hands.

Letting out another quiet sob, Hinata knelt next to her cousin as he came to his knees and picked out all the broken shards of the urn, his fingers trembling. Neji grimaced as he dropped the last shard into the dustpan, his fingers coated in the ashes.

He went to dispose of the urn's remains, then knelt before the ashes.

He solemnly started sweeping, as Hinata bowed her head in reverence and closed her eyes. They got to their feet, Neji holding the dustpan gingerly in his hands. Hinata found the only thing suitable to hold the ashes for now, and offered Neji an old thermos.

They poured the ashes into the thermos then screwed on the lid, exchanging glances before Neji went to return the thermos to its resting place. Stepping back from it, Neji bowed to the thermos and silently closed the door.

Slowly, he turned away from it and made his way to the sink near the laundry machine. He quickly washed his hands of the ashes, unable to fight off the shudder of relief as it washed down the drain. Wiping his hands on his pants, Neji turned to see Hinata standing off to the side, holding something in her hands.

"It's past our dinner time…" she said hesitantly. "A-Are you hungry, Neji?"

Despite having lost most his appetite when the urn shattered, he couldn't suppress the gnawing feeling in his empty stomach.

"What does it matter? It's not like we have anything to eat down here," he said scornfully, crossing his arms. "All we have is the water from the sink."

"N-No…" Hinata said shyly, presenting the item in her hands. "I had this in my pocket."

Neji blinked as she thrust an apple into his face, lowering her gaze to the floor. "You can have it if you want…I'm sorry it's not much."

He gave her a questioning look as she bit her lip, averting her eyes. "It's okay, I'm not hungry anyway…"

Silently, he took the apple from her hands, giving her the opportunity to scurry back to the other side of the room again. Hinata smiled slightly to herself as she returned to the last cupboard she'd been searching, trying to ignore her biting hunger.

_Maybe Neji brother will like me a little bit after that…_Hinata thought hopefully.

"Hinata, catch."

"Huh?" She glanced up at the sound of his voice, gasping when something flew at her. She caught it, eyes widening in surprise when she saw that it was half the apple she had given him.

Hinata gawked at Neji in surprise when he shoved his half between his teeth, turning away from her as he wiped his kunai clean.

"T-Thank you," she stammered in surprise.

Neji shrugged. "No point in letting you starve, is there?" Hinata just smiled, and quietly ate her portion of the apple.

Both halves of the apple were polished off in seconds, and despite the utter convenience of having one, it did little to appease their adolescent appetites. Ninjas eat a lot, man. Don't you see how much they exercise?!

They spent a few more minutes standing in silence, fiddling with something or other, until both their stomachs growled simultaneously. Neji scowled, feeling grumpy. A hungry Neji was never a happy Neji.

"Maybe there are some crackers down here," Hinata said randomly, peering up at some shelves. "Those would be okay to eat, because they're dry foods."

"…what?" Neji asked, confused by her choice of words.

"Um, I meant, it would be safer than some preserved fruits or something…you wouldn't want to get sick…" she mumbled, as she tossed a bag of birdseed behind her.

"You worry too much," Neji declared in his haughty way. "Who the hell cares if it's wet or dry, as long as it's something to eat?"

Hinata merely bowed her head, not wanting to argue with her cousin. "I guess you're right."

Neji gave her an annoyed look, miffed at how easily she agreed, even if she didn't believe it.

"You succumb to anything anyone says, Hinata. That's what makes you weak," he said harshly. "You let people walk all over you. That's not how a Hyuuga should present themselves."

"But…I…" she said weakly. "I don't want to make anyone mad. I don't like to argue…"

Neji snorted. "You think disagreeing with me about food poisoning is going to make me angry? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

Hinata said nothing, and Neji turned away from her in exasperation. His stomach growled again, and he glanced up at the shelves in search of food. The glint of a glass jar caught his eye, and he craned his neck back to see a jar containing something or other perched at the top of the shelves.

Using his awesome Ninja know-how, Neji too a running leap at the wall, jumped off it and ricocheted into the air. Hinata turned to see him land gracefully back on the ground, a jar clutched in his arms.

Her lips parted to warn him, when she realized that they were preserved peaches, but her voice refused to surface as Neji unscrewed the lid.

"I take it that you don't want any?" Neji said dryly as she grimaced at the sight of it.

"What if it's r-really old?" She questioned meekly.

Neji said nothing, and took a tentative sniff instead. "It smells fine. I'm not going to ask you again, Hinata. Do you want any?"

Hinata bit her lip, mustering her courage as she recalled his words.

"Neji," she said, as confidently as she could. "Don't eat that. You'll get _Bacillus cereus_ food poisoning."

"…" Neji stared at her.

"It's a b-bacterium in spiced foods," Hinata explained.

"Oh," Neji said blankly, lifting the jar to his lips. "…I'm eating it anyway."

Hinata watched in dismay as he gulped down the contents of the jar, not stopping until the last drop of peach juice disappeared down his throat. He let out a hiccup of satisfaction as he set down the empty jar, since Neji was too dignified to actually burp.

"Oh Neji," Hinata whispered to herself in anxiety. "You're too stubborn for your own good…"

Neji noticed Hinata staring at him with a look of disheartenment on her face, and he gave her a look of annoyance.

"Stop staring at me like that," he commanded. "You're acting as if I'm about to drop dead any second."

Hinata just sighed, and decided to sit back down among her neglected bundle of blankets. The chill in the room just kept increasing, despite the slight warmth the lights provided. Shivering, Hinata arranged her blankets so that she could curl up in them and use an extra one as a pillow against the cupboard.

Fortunately for her, she was wearing her usual tan coat, so she wasn't as affected by the cold as Neji was. The Hyuuga genius was wearing a pair of black track pants and a thin, indigo, long-sleeved shirt. And as much as Neji hated to admit it, the option of sitting with his cousin outweighed the option of sitting by himself and catching hypothermia.

Hinata saw the stressed look on his face, and wondered if he needed to use the washroom.

"Um, Neji…if you need to, um, _go_…there's a washroom over there," Hinata said, pointing to an ancient, closed door beside the laundry machine.

"I'm fine," he snapped irritably, aggravated that she had seen his discomfort. Muttering under his breath, he slowly made his way to the other side of the room to retrieve his blankets. The rain hadn't stopped, and he shivered involuntarily when thunder boomed and the lights flickered again.

Snatching his blankets, he somewhat ran/walked to where Hinata was curled up. Mumbling some incoherent words, he settled down next to her and draped the blankets over his lap. Crossing his arms, he turned his head in the opposite direction so she couldn't see his aggravated pout.

"Neji?"

"What?"

_Sniffle_. "I'm really sorry I got you stuck down here…"

_…dear God, is she crying?? _Neji glanced at her in alarm.

_Whimper_. "I-I can understand why…y-you don't like me…"

"…" Neji's mind raced, a vein twitching near his temple as he wondered what he'd do if she started to cry all-out.

_Sob_. "I d-don't deserve to be a Hyuuga…"

"Hinata," Neji's voice was unnaturally loud. "Stop crying."

_Silence_. _Whimper_. _Sniffle_. "S-Sorry…"

"And stop apologizing!" Neji demanded, annoyed. "Maybe I would show you some respect if you didn't burst into tears at every little thing."

"G-Getting you locked down here, is a l-little thing?"

"…" Neji turned his head away again, trying to hide his grimace. _Best to just end it here…_

"Hinata, just…go to sleep," he said between gritted teeth, praying that she would shut up.

"A-Are you going to sleep, too?" she questioned, her sniffling slowly ceasing.

"Yes!" he said, exasperated. "Now be quiet."

Hinata finally fell silent, and Neji scowled in the other direction as her breathing started to slow. But he scowled only because he could feel his eyelids growing heavier, when it should be known that Neji sleeps only after washing and exfoliating his skin.

He attempted to keep himself awake with random thoughts, and one was of the story about the sandman. _Damn sandman…_he thought groggily. _If he was real, I'd kick his ass…going around making people go to sleep…_

If there was a sandman, Neji immediately conjured up an image of Gaara, running around people's houses in his pajamas and night cap, flinging sand in their eyes and laughing maniacally.

That was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep, as the rain continued to pour outside.

* * *

"Nnn…stop it. Don't…naah, quit it. Hinata…stop…tickling…me…" Neji mumbled, his brow furrowing in his sleep as something scuttled over his ribs.

"Neji? Neji, wake up."

"I don't like it…heh heh…_stop_…!" Neji had a weak, droopy looking smile on his face now, despite his annoyed look.

"Wake up, Neji! You're having an…odd dream."

"Eh…? Wha?" The Hyuuga genius finally cracked open his eyes, squinting at the light of the basement. He blinked, then immediately sat up.

"Hinata, stop that!" He turned to glare at his cousin, but stared in surprise when he saw both her hands raised above her head.

"It isn't m-me," she stammered.

Neji paled, and slowly pulled back his blankets, feeling the continuous tickle on his front.

"EEEEEEEKK!!!" Hinata shrieked, when a mouse darted out from between Neji's covers, and leapt into her bundle of blankets. Neji leapt to his feet, shuddering in disgust as Hinata continued to scream and flung her pile of blankets away from her.

The poor mouse scurried away between the cabinets, and Hinata slumped to her behind, gasping.

"That thing," she squeaked. "It was sleeping with you?"

She looked up when she heard no answer, and blinked in surprise when she saw the colour of Neji's face. It seemed to have acquired a pasty, greenish tinge, and his body was trembling slightly.

"Are you okay?" Hinata cried in alarm, as Neji's hand suddenly slapped over his mouth and he fell to his knees.

"I'm…" he choked out, his voice muffled against his palm. "…going to be…sick!"

"Ah!" Hinata cried, jumping to her feet. "I knew it! I _told _you not to eat those peaches, Neji! You have food poisoning!"

Neji's face just turned even greener, and he collapsed on his side, slapping his other hand to his mouth as well.

"You have to get up, Neji," Hinata said in concern, putting her hand against his shoulder. "You're going to have to, um, vomit, to get the bacteria out of your system…"

Upon hearing those words, he shook his head violently, letting out a muffled "No!"

"I understand, nobody likes to throw up. But you have to," Hinata pleaded with him. "Or you'll get worse. A-And we don't even know how long it'll be till someone finds us!"

He seemed to consider her words, and appeared to have reached a decision. Crawling to his hands and knees, he suddenly took off crawling as fast as he could away from the ancient washroom.

"Neji!" Hinata called after him, looking panic-stricken as she looked between him and the washroom desperately. She clenched her fists uncertainly, recalling Neji's words from before. Yes…she had to be more assertive…she had to show him what was right…

Even if she…

Hinata held her head up high, shining with a new determination.

Even if she had to drag him to the toilet kicking and screaming!

Neji was crawling away at a snail's pace, his body weakening dramatically as cold sweat dripped down his face. He'd find some corner to curl up and die in, but he wouldn't throw up. No, leave the dramatics to Hinata.

Let her throw up, let Naruto throw up, and even let that prissy Uchiha throw up, but Neji Hyuuga would NOT throw up.

"You're going to throw up, Neji!" Hinata suddenly seized her cousin around the middle. "Even if I have to m-make you!"

"&#$#&!!!" Neji's eyes nearly rolled out of his head when Hinata grabbed him and started to drag him backwards toward the washroom. He thrashed in her grip, his yells of protest muffled by his own hands as his feet dragged over the floor.

Neji wanted to cry, because a) he felt like he had the strength of a baby, and b) what could be more humiliating than this?

Hinata kicked the door open with her foot and pushed Neji in front of the toilet, forcing him to bend over it as she pulled on the light switch. But Neji was being a stubborn ass, and refused to remove his hands from his mouth.

He gasped in surprise when Hinata took a hold of his wrists and pulled his hands behind his back, forcing him to kneel forward. All at once, the pungent smell of the washroom, the nausea in his gut, and the forgot-to-be-flushed present is the toilet bowl all attacked his willpower at once.

Hinata released his hands as soon as she saw the tremor that ran through his body, and sighed when he grabbed a hold of the porcelain bowl and let loose the bacteria-infested peaches.

"It's okay, let it all out…" Hinata said soothingly, rubbing his back as he retched. "You'll feel better once it's all out."

Three minutes later, Neji had vomited all he could and just sat there in shock, trembling violently as he gasped for breath. Hinata offered him a paper towel to wipe his mouth with, and draped a blanket over his shaking shoulders.

"See what _Bacillus cereus _can do?" Hinata reprimanded gently. "It can lead to vomiting, nausea, tremors—"

"Hinata," Neji rasped, looking totally out of it. "Why are you speaking Italian…?"

Hinata sighed. "And temporary delusions…"

"I'm cold," Neji mumbled, shivering.

"I know you are," Hinata said comfortingly, helping him to his feet and bringing him back outside the washroom. She eased him onto the floor, and piled and wrapped him with blankets until all you could see of him was his face.

"Go to sleep," she said gently, and Neji immediately passed out in his cocoon, slumping onto his side. Hinata sighed in relief, smiling slightly as she saw the colour slowly returning to her cousin's pasty face.

Leaning her head back against the wall, Hinata felt herself grow drowsy again. It was probably nearing her bedtime anyway...it wouldn't hurt to go to sleep, just as long as that mouse didn't come near her.

But before that...

Hinata double-checked to see that Neji was asleep, and then stealthily tip-toed to where she had left the photo album. She slipped it into her coat, and sat back down against the wall, smirking a very Un-Hinata-like smirk before she fell asleep.

* * *

Neji woke first, sitting bolt upright as his blankets fell off. He stared in confusion at his surroundings for a moment, and then remembered where he was. He leaned back against the wall, feeling hungry but fine.

Last night's memories were slightly foggy, and whatever he could remember of it, he wanted to forget.

Looking over at his cousin, his eyebrows rose in surprise to see that she was still sleeping. He had no idea what time it was, but was sure that it was the next day. And if his damn uncle still couldn't tell that his daughter and genius nephew were missing, then…

Neji was distracted from his thoughts when he noticed a brightly coloured object sticking out of Hinata's coat pocket. Without bothering to wonder if she would mind him looking at it, he plucked it out and raised it before his narrowed eyes.

"Happy Birthday Naruto," he muttered, reading the message written in hundreds of carefully glued ramen noodles. Opening the card, he blinked, impressed at the amount of detail and care Hinata had put into the card.

There was a message written inside, but even Neji wasn't socially retarded enough to read a girl's thoughts to another boy. But he did read what she wrote at the bottom of the card.

_I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Naruto._

_Love, Anonymous._

A smirk appeared on his face as he shook his head in dismay. She was still too scared to let the idiot know how she felt about him…

_Well_, Neji thought with a smirk. _She's a Hyuuga, and Hyuugas are assertive and confident. This will just have to…_

Of all the useless things the cupboards contained in the basement, one of them at least contained what he was looking for.

A pencil.

* * *

"How long have you two been down here!?"

"All night I presume, Uncle."

"How did this happen?"

"I—"

"Never mind. First, wake Hinata and bring her upstairs to eat. Then you two will explain what happened."

"I understand, Uncle."

"Good."

Hinata cracked her eyes open as she saw her father's feet ascend the top stairs and disappear into the hallway. The flood of morning light spilled from the basement's open door into the basement, and Hinata sat up, stretching.

"Awake, I see."

Hinata turned at the sound of her cousin's haughty tone, and smiled when she saw that his health had obviously returned.

"Neji, you're all right!" she said happily, getting to her feet and stepping closer to scrutinize his face. "Are you still feeling nauseous?"

"I'm fine!" He insisted, flustered at the sudden attention. "Your father finally decided to drop by. We can finally get out of this hellhole."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as she took a few steps towards the stairs, trying to conceal the album beneath her coat. "A-Are you coming, Neji?" she called back to him.

"No, I enjoy sleeping with the mice," he said sarcastically as he walked up next to her. "Hurry up, I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

Smiling, she quickly ran up the stairs as Neji slowly followed, smirking as he surreptitiously slipped the pencil into his back pocket.

* * *

So on the day of Naruto's birthday, it came as quite a surprise to the fox-boy when he received the most beautiful, hand-made card he ever got in his life, not to mention the first. And upon opening it, his eyes quickly skimmed the heartfelt message, and he eagerly checked to see who it was from.

Beneath, the delicate cursive writing, was a name written in bold pencil strokes.

_I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Naruto._

_Love, _**HINATA HYUUGA.**

* * *

And back at the Hyuuga Mansion, where there were once two cousins who did everything they could to avoid each other, were now two cousins living in quiet harmony. Neji seemed to project an aura of caring behind his haughtiness, and Hinata managed to keep the stuttering to a minimum.

Neji now even dared to show his branch-house branded tush in the main house.

And the young Hyuuga genius first showed this caring one day, in late November, when Uncle Kazumi emerged from the basement holding a certain old thermos.

Uncle Kazumi was happily mixing what he thought was prime, grounded coffee with some boiling water when Neji walked in and stopped short.

His lips parted in horror when his uncle raised the cup to his lips.

At that moment, Hinata also walked in, and was about to greet her cousin when she saw the thermos on the counter without its lid, and her uncle about to drink its contents.

"AA-!" Neji slapped his hand over Hinata's mouth before she could really scream, and dragged her out of the kitchen and as far away from it as possible.

They both decided to keep their mouths shut and never speak of the incidence again. Thus, Neji made sure that Hinata maintained her composure when her father started going around asking people where grandpa's ashes had disappeared to.

They unknowingly formed a close-knit bond, and stayed as far away from the basement as freaking possible.

And as for the ignorant Uncle Kazumi…

Cheers, old man, _cheers_.

* * *

Note: Love you for your patience! Review and you get a hug from Neji!

Neji: Wait, what? I never agreed to –

Firefly: (hurriedly) Review! Have a nice day!


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